New again

Unusual trellis helps screen patio

Sunday,  March 16, 2008 3:26 AM

By Tim Feran

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

New Again is Home & Garden's monthly feature profiling a remodeling project. Each story focuses on a narrow, problem-solving aspect of the work.

The goal

As part of an overall plan to landscape and develop the yard around their Dublin home, Philip and Nancy Herriman wanted to upgrade an existing patio and include screening for privacy.

The plan

Wood Landscape Services designer Ryan Kolb offered several ways of screening, starting with vegetation but also including "some of the more out-of-the-box solutions," he said.

The option the Herrimans chose was an unusual wood and iron screen, made in two sections, each roughly 4 feet wide and 7 feet tall.

Kolb came up with the idea while on a trip to Fortin Ironworks for another client. Fortin, a manufacturer of crafted ornamental and light structural iron in Grandview Heights, had several iron screen designs that inspired Kolb.

The strategy

Although Fortin had patterns of its own, the Herrimans wanted something that would fit in with the straight lines of their house and their personal tastes.

So Kolb designed a new geometric trellis. The pattern offers airiness and allows the wind to blow through, "so it wouldn't bend," and is aesthetically pleasing.

The screen is the focal point of a larger landscaping area that will bring privacy with a great measure of beauty.

Challenges

There were several -- one before the project began and one near completion.

Before anything was built, Kolb had to put his creativity to work and illustrate several screening options so that the Herrimans could visualize what they were choosing instead of trying to imagine what it might look like from a description.

Later, when one of the iron panels arrived scratched, installation was delayed while Fortin meticulously fixed the problem.

Time required

After all the parts had been fabricated to the satisfaction of Wood Landscape, Fortin Ironworks and the Herrimans, the structure itself took a day to build on-site.

Cost

The trellis cost about $5,000.

Contractor's observation

"It all stemmed from the challenge of getting more privacy," Kolb said. "Everybody puts up arborvitaes to screen their patios. We thought this was a totally different take on that."

Customer's comments

"We wanted to have more plants and more features in the yard to make it more appealing," Philip Herriman said. "It was pretty sparse when we moved in. We also wanted not a wall but something that would somewhat block the view -- and Ryan came up with that idea.

"It's different. We liked that. And it's sharp-looking, and it ties to the house. We're pretty excited about it.

"We're a little more than halfway through the entire project, and it's been good.

"It helps us think about where we want to go next."

Remodeler

Wood Landscape Services, 4756 Scioto Darby Rd., Hilliard; 614-529-0700; www.wood landscape.com